Is there any possibility or interest in creating a random thought thread that can go on ad infinitum? Sometimes you just want to say something but not create an entire thread for it or derail another thread.

Then, the Licchavi Vimalakīrti spoke to the elder Śāriputra and the great disciples: “Reverends, eat of the food of the Tathāgata! It is ambrosia perfumed by the great compassion. But do not fix your minds in narrow-minded attitudes, lest you be unable to receive its gift.”

Since the posts will not be related specifically to Dharma, I moved it to the "Lounge" for you.

I think this is the most appropriate setting for this thread. Yes?

"My religion is not deceiving myself."Jetsun Milarepa 1052-1135 CE

"Butchers, prostitutes, those guilty of the five most heinous crimes, outcasts, the underprivileged: all are utterly the substance of existence and nothing other than total bliss."The Supreme Source - The Kunjed Gyalpo
The Fundamental Tantra of Dzogchen Semde

Then, the Licchavi Vimalakīrti spoke to the elder Śāriputra and the great disciples: “Reverends, eat of the food of the Tathāgata! It is ambrosia perfumed by the great compassion. But do not fix your minds in narrow-minded attitudes, lest you be unable to receive its gift.”

Lhabab Duchen is one of the holy days commemorating special times in the life of Buddha Shakyamuni, when he went to the Heaven of 33 to repay his mother's kindness by teaching and liberating her and other beings in the God Realm. On this day, effects of positive and negative deeds are magnified millions of times.

Lama Sonam Rinpoche reminds us that "especially during this present time, our outer and inner elements are imbalanced, causing depression, anxiety, anger and ignorance to arise. In order to dispel our own ignorance and make inner wisdom blossom, we must practice and pray diligently.

This might sound silly (it did to me until I tried it) but I installed a "Mindfulness Reminder" thingie on my computer that flashes/plays me a short notice every 20 minutes (or whatever interval I choose) to "Please enjoy this present moment in mindfulness." Lama Surya Das (and others) say that buncha "quickies' during the day can be even more effective for certain people than 1-2 longer on-the-cushion sessions. You'd be surprised how hard it is to STOP the driven discursive mind when it's churning away and spend a moment in stillness.

This might sound silly (it did to me until I tried it) but I installed a "Mindfulness Reminder" thingie on my computer that flashes/plays me a short notice every 20 minutes (or whatever interval I choose) to "Please enjoy this present moment in mindfulness." Lama Surya Das (and others) say that buncha "quickies' during the day can be even more effective for certain people than 1-2 longer on-the-cushion sessions. You'd be surprised how hard it is to STOP the driven discursive mind when it's churning away and spend a moment in stillness.

I've tried it, too. Sometimes my days get so hectic that even taking a minute to breath is nearly impossible. I've got a reminder thingy on my phone, but many days I don't even have a chance to look at my phone or hear it go off. I'll keep working at it though.

A Buddhist nun I knew and loved, Ani Trime, used to talk about how powerful and sane-making it was to simply STOP the flow of samsaric everyday life from time to time. Even a good slow breath or few can do it, though sometimes the river is flowing so powerfully that a bit more time is needed. My root teacher, Anam Thubten, does it often when he teaches. He stops, looks around, takes a breath or two in silence (took me a while to get used to these pauses!) ... and then gets back in the flow and continues the teaching.

A Buddhist nun I knew and loved, Ani Trime, used to talk about how powerful and sane-making it was to simply STOP the flow of samsaric everyday life from time to time. Even a good slow breath or few can do it, though sometimes the river is flowing so powerfully that a bit more time is needed. My root teacher, Anam Thubten, does it often when he teaches. He stops, looks around, takes a breath or two in silence (took me a while to get used to these pauses!) ... and then gets back in the flow and continues the teaching.

I have to do the same thing, take a moment and breathe slowly, for various challenging situations. So, yeah, I guess I do practice mindfulness a bit at work!

Great! I love the quickies approach ... it seems to be ideal for our frenetic Western lives. But longies (20+ minutes) are necessary to achieve deeper shamatha and vipashyana. So, a nice mix: longies 1-2 times a day, and buncha quickies scattered throughout the day. Add an always present mindfulness to the brew and it's all good. (I just wish I'd actually DO IT for a prolonged period of time!)

I think, the Catalonians will manage their mess somehow. I have to manage mine: many "to-do"s on my list every day but I don't like to hurry. I have to take the duties smoothly. "Sweet, soft and easy". But it's interesting anyhow.
Today it was a very rainy & cold day. So, it was no waste to sit at my desk and work the whole day. I can tell you now how selection, recombination, mutation and genetic drift work. Tomorrow I have to write something for German and history and learn math. I'm so afraid to start with math. But it will be good have it done, tomorrow night.

Now: meditation time. Often I'm really glad to be a Buddhist. It helps against the panic all my fellow-pupils seem to have.
Bye.

I have decided to stick with love.
Hate is too great a burden to bear.
- Martin Luther King, Jr. -